From: Irene Ryder <irene.ryder@nbcf.org.au>
Subject: thank you for supporting us in 2009
Date:  11/11/2009 12:51 AM
To: undisclosed-recipients: ;

Dear Supporters,
 
You all have something special in common - you have all brought together your network of friends, family, colleagues and the greater community to host a fundraising event in 2009 to support the National Breast Cancer Foundation. You all represent, in some way, multicultural Victoria, and you have all helped to put a multicultural face to breast cancer, to remind men and women, migrants and refugees, first and second generation Australians alike, that breast cancer can affect us all, regardless of where we were born or what our faith is. 
 
And we thank you -  sincerely - for making a significant contribution that allows us to keep funding world-class research into every aspect of this complex disease that claims more than 2,800 lives a year in Australia.
 
We are making progress, but there is still so much more to do, and it is the support like yours that make the difference, that helps us to support researchers across the country to continue their work in this field.
 
I know that we can sometimes feel frustrated at the lack of "progress" in finding the cause of breast cancer - after so much money raised and so much research funded, where is the cure, where are the answers?  In reality, we have made huge advances in science (not just breast cancer research) and we can see that much has changed in this field, in the last five, 10, 15 years.  For example, five or 10 years ago, we weren't in a position to offer the breadth of treatment options now available to women to treat their cancers, but now we are in a better position to offer better choices.  That means much to the person affected and it's the dollars that you help raise that has allowed these changes to take place - with time. 
 
I just wanted you all to know that I personally thank you for responding to my request, either directly or through mutual colleagues, to gather your networks and host a fundraising occasion or campaign.  I'm really proud of you all and I hope that you have enjoyed the experience of supporting us and that you feel your event has made a contribution to your own communities, in raising awareness and promoting early detection.  And we hope you will do it again in the future!
 
If you have some time, I would appreciate any feedback you may wish to offer, so that I can gain a little insight into your experience fundraising for the NBCF and how you feel it has helped your community.  Anything you would like to say would be of interest to me and I would appreciate your feedback in helping to grow the Multicultural Program.   
 
You can send an email to irene.ryder@nbcf.org.au and put forth any feedback, suggestions or ideas to help make community engagement with our CALD communities bigger and better.  I hope to hear from as many of you as possible. 
 
It's important that we continue to make sure that those Australians who were born in other countries have access to the same information about breast cancer as their Australian-born counterparts and that we all have an opportunity to give to research, no matter how big or small, so that we all benefit from the findings. 
 
I wish you all well and look forward to staying in touch. 
 
Thank you again everyone for your important contribution.  You've been great! 
 
Irene Ryder
 
 
Irene Ryder
Regional Development Executive (Victoria)
Multicultural Communities Program Manager
National Breast Cancer Foundation
Funding research for prevention and cure
Level 6, 380 St. Kilda Road 
Melbourne VIC 3004
Mobile: 0417 133 119
Office: (03) 9695 9462
nbcf.org.au